Zeman not indifferent to sharp fall in public trust, says aide

A close aide to President Miloš Zeman says the head of state is not indifferent to a steep fall in his public trust ratings. Speaking to Czech Television, the head of the Office of the President’s Foreign Affairs Department, Hynek Kmoníček, said Mr. Zeman would have to think about his communication strategy in order to explain his aims more clearly. A poll released last week suggested that trust in the president had fallen by a record 21 percent in one month following comments he made on China and Russia and an expletive-dotted live radio interview. Mr. Kmoníček said his boss’s “strong statements” occasionally overshadowed other important parts of his agenda that also merited attention.